{"id":5735,"date":"2011-03-16T04:00:20","date_gmt":"2011-03-16T02:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=5735"},"modified":"2021-03-22T13:28:09","modified_gmt":"2021-03-22T11:28:09","slug":"04-16-04","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/04-16-04\/","title":{"rendered":"04.\u00a0Arranging the Seder Plate"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Talmud does not mention the Seder plate, but it does say that \u201cmatza, lettuce, \u1e25aroset,<\/strong> and two cooked foods\u201d are served to the person leading the Seder (Pesa\u1e25im <\/strong>114a). The Rishonim state that all of these foods should be placed on a plate. So is written in SA 473:4 as well. However, this is not obligatory. The main thing is that these foods be placed before the Seder leader. It is not necessary to place a Seder plate before each participant or even before each married participant. Rather, it is enough to place the plate before the Seder leader (MB 473:17). Nevertheless, some have a custom to place matzot<\/strong> before the head of every household and the complete Seder plate in front of the Seder leader only.<\/p>\n Since a number of foods must be placed on the plate, the question arises: what is the best way to arrange them? There are several opinions on this matter.<\/p>\n According to Rema, the principle is that the earlier a food appears in the Seder, the closer to the Seder leader it should be placed. This is done in order to avoid \u201cpassing over the mitzvot.<\/strong>\u201d For example, if the matzot<\/strong> were closer to the leader than the karpas<\/strong>, he would have to pass over the matzot<\/strong> when reaching for the karpas<\/strong>, and this would be somewhat disrespectful to the matzot<\/strong>. Therefore, according to Rema, one should place the karpas<\/strong> and salt water closest to the leader, because these are eaten at the beginning, even before reciting the Hagada. Next come the matzot<\/strong>, which are eaten at the start of the meal. Then come the maror<\/strong> and the \u1e25aroset<\/strong>, because after eating matza we eat maror<\/strong> dipped in the \u1e25aroset<\/strong>. Furthest away on the plate are the zero\u2019a<\/strong> and egg, which commemorate the Paschal and \u1e25agiga <\/strong>offerings.<\/p>\n Some say that there is no need to be particular about arranging the Seder plate in a manner that will prevent \u201cpassing over mitzvot<\/strong>,\u201d because such behavior is only improper when one is presented with the simultaneous opportunity to perform two mitzvot<\/strong>. However, on the Seder night, each mitzva has a specific time of its own, and there is no problem in passing over a mitzva whose time for fulfillment has not yet arrived, in order to get to a food that must be eaten now.<\/p>\n The Seder plate arrangement based on Arizal\u2019s teaching alludes to the ten kabbalistic sefirot<\/strong>.[1]<\/a><\/sup> This arrangement is practiced today by most Sephardic, \u1e24asidic, and even some non-\u1e24asidic Ashkenazim. Other Ashkenazim follow Rema, while still others follow the Vilna Gaon. Many Hagadot<\/strong> contain diagrams of the Seder plate arrangement, and each of these varying customs has a place in Jewish law.<\/p>\n